Sir Keir Starmer is set to provide an update on the Middle East conflict during a press conference at Downing Street at 2pm, as Defence Secretary John Healey meets his Cypriot counterpart to address concerns over Britain's response to drone attacks on Cyprus.
The Prime Minister acknowledged public anxiety, stating on social media: 'I know that the situation in the Middle East is worrying for people across the UK and in the region. This afternoon, I’ll be giving an update on the action we continue to take to protect lives and bring British nationals back home.'
Healey met with Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas to discuss reinforcing air defences for shared security, following a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri. A hangar was hit by an Iranian-made Shahed drone launched from Beirut, with two further drones shot down by British warplanes. Cyprus's High Commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, criticised the UK's response, stating that a British military presence to defend the island is 'the least we expect'.
Britain has deployed the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to help protect Cyprus, though it is not expected to sail until next week. Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are also being dispatched. The Prime Minister's spokesman rejected accusations of insufficient military assets, noting that defensive capabilities have been in place since January, including air defence, radar systems, and F-35 jets in Cyprus and Typhoons in Qatar.
More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from the Middle East, with half arriving from the UAE. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer described the support as on a scale 'not seen since Covid'. However, a repatriation flight from Oman was delayed due to issues boarding passengers.
